I'm sure the Birmingham haters will find something to gripe about. They always do. But for those who care about the city and its future, the continuing drop in Birmingham's homiside rate is encouraging news.

There were 57 homicides in Birmingham during 2011, five fewer than in 2010. And since 109 homicides in 2006, the numbers of killings have dropped every year. This year's rate is the lowest since 1966, when there were 56 homicides.

Birmingham has always been a violent city; some of the worst years were in the 1930s; and in 1991, there were 141 killings. This year's number represents a drop of more than 60 percent in two decades.

Police Chief A.C. Roper deserves a hearty round of applause -- and much encouragement to continue his no-tolerance policing where violent crime is concerned. And we mustn't be satisfied with these numbers, as I'm sure Roper would be the first to say. Let's drive them even lower. We may never get to zero -- few big cities do -- but in 2006, we were just hoping for fewer than 100 killings. Now we're closing in on 50, and BPD Deputy Chief Herman Hinton, the man who oversees criminal investigations, said continued aggressive policing efforts could allow Birmingham to end 2012 with fewer than 50 homicides.

"This certainly is not impossible with all hands on deck," Hinton told The News in staff writer Jeremy Gray's Sunday story.

It's just as possible the numbers could jump back up; violent crime is more often than not emotional crime, and the homicide rate fluctuates over time. But by keeping the pressure on, police officers are doing what they can to disrupt the cycle.

No, we can't celebrate; 57 lives were lost. But we should be encouraged.